Episode 36
'''The Champ And I '''is the 36th episode of the Hajime no Ippo anime, and it was released on June 12, 2001. Summary As Date introduces himself to Ippo, Takamura walks by and starts talking to Date. He tells Ippo how they met, and Date lets them know that he will be commenting on the fights. As Date walks away, Takamura informs him of Ippo's abilities and tells him to be careful. The champion replies by inviting Ippo to "play" at his gym. Ippo and Yamada watch the fight and cheer for their gym mates. They watch Kimura and Aoki barely winning their fights, while Takamura completely destroys his opponent. Later that night, as the Kamogawa crew is discussing the fights, Aoki and Kimura are ranked higher, meaning with a few more fights they could get a title shot. They encourage Ippo to do the same, but he replies there are "still" nine people before the champion. Kamogawa, hearing this, tells him that in actuality there are "only" nine. At night in his room and after being encouraged by everyone to go for the Japanese title, Ippo reflects on his past fights and remembers the speed and strength of previous opponents. This makes him wonder just how strong Date can be. The next day at the gym, Ippo helps Yamada, who is being laughed at for failing at jump rope just like Ippo did at the beginning. It is also noted by Kimura, that it has been three months since Ippo's last fight, so his fist should be healed. After being told by Dr. Yamaguchi that his hand is ready to be used full power, Ippo goes back to the gym and hits the sandbag with a powerful straight, while he has the champion on his mind. Kamogawa, who is happy after watching Ippo's healed fist in action, is told by Yagi that he received a call from the Nakadai Boxing Gym, where the champion is requesting a spar with Ippo. Three days later, Takamura and Yamada accompany Ippo to the sparring match, but Takamura, claiming to have a date, leaves them and goes back. Once at the gym, they are greeted by the owner, and Ippo is told to warm up and get ready, as Date will be arriving soon. When Date arrives, Ippo notices from his shadow boxing, that he can use the corkscrew. Both fighters go to the ring and get ready to start. Once in the ring, Date refuses to wear any headgear, which worries Ippo. Date tells him that it is alright, and to not hold back. As Ippo feels uneasy for not having a second with him, the bell rings. As soon as the fight starts, Ippo is overwhelmed by Date's presence alone, and receives a powerful hit that does not knock him out because of the headgear. He focuses and attempts to block a punch, but is outclassed by the champion. As the match progresses, Ippo begins to improve his performance as he dodges and lands a few attacks. When a straight knocks Date off balance, Ippo goes for a finisher, but the bell ends the round. In his corner, Date talks with his coach about Ippo's potential, and that he is ready to try the technique. Meanwhile in his corner, Ippo is explaining to Yamada, what the corkscrew is. When the fight resumes, Ippo begins swaying in order to avoid the corkscrew. Date realizes this and throws a few punches that miss, but still gets to corner him. Ippo now against the ropes, tries to get out, but Date pushes him back and initiates the motion for the corkscrew. Ippo guards but is still hit, he notices Date going for a left and attempts to block, but his body does not respond, and he takes a clean hit to the face. As he falls, he wonders why he couldn't move.Category:Anime Episodes Category:Season 1 Episodes